Posted on 6/23/2025 by Agent009
Back in April, we reported on how Hertz was planning to employ artificial intelligence to scan vehicles before and after renters use them, to check for damages and issue associated charges. The AI system has been live now for a few months at select locations around the country, and one customer of Hertz-owned Thrifty reached out to The Drive to share his experience after one of the company’s scanners caught damage on his rental. Mind you, it wasn’t exactly an experience he enjoyed.
A reader named Patrick recently rented a Volkswagen from Hertz’s location at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, which was in fact the first store nationwide to use the tech. When he returned the car, he did so with a 1-inch scuff on the driver’s side rear wheel. Patrick says he was alerted to the damage “minutes” after dropping the VW off, and with it, charges for the blemish: $250 for the repair, $125 for processing, and another $65 administrative fee. That’s $440 all told, for curb rash on one wheel.